


stuffed animals are forever

by greywardenblue



Category: October Daye Series - Seanan McGuire
Genre: Gen, Janet is sus, Mentioned Gillian Daye Marks, cousin bonding, sister bonding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-21
Updated: 2020-10-21
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:48:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27134110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/greywardenblue/pseuds/greywardenblue
Summary: 2020 is stressful, here have a fluffy trip to the mall and an unexpected encounter.
Comments: 15
Kudos: 37





	stuffed animals are forever

“What is _that_?”

Toby looked up from the selection of board games to see what August was looking at.

“Uh…”

“It’s a huge _dragon_ ,” August answered her own question. “And it’s _sparkly_. Do you see how big it is?”

“Yes, August. My eyes are working fine.”

“I want it,” August declared.

Toby shrugged. “Knock yourself out. Not my money.”

“Wait, wait,” Raysel said. “If August gets a huge stuffed animal, I want one too.”

Toby raised an eyebrow. “Again. Not my money. As long as you don’t make me buy this entire shop, _and_ you are willing to carry a toy half your size through the mall yourself - do what you want.”

Raysel disappeared among the shelves, and by the time Toby picked out the gift for the Brown kids, she returned with a huge black horse that was frankly disturbing enough to pass as a kelpie. Clutching their respective new friends, the two women followed Toby to the checkout with surprising obedience.

The cashier looked at the card, then back at the three of them. Toby smiled at him patiently.

“Which one of you ladies is _Simon_ Torquill?” he asked suspiciously.

“That’s me,” Toby said. “But, it’s pronounced Simone. You know, like Simone de Beauvoir?”

The cashier looked doubtful. “Right. Can I see an ID, ma’am?”

“Of course.” Toby reached into her wallet to find her ID. “I own a big fat cat, the fattest for miles around…” She murmured under her breath, and tried not to flinch as the smell of copper rose around her, with oh so little grass underneath. “Wherever there’s lots of food, that’s where he’ll be found.” She smiled again and handed the card to the cashier. He looked at it for a little too long, then handed it back.

“Have a nice day, ladies.”

“Have a nice day,” Toby said, and looked back to where August was now making her new stuffed friend “sniff” Raysel. That was fine. She could let two traumatized purebloods with questionable parents act like children for a bit. “Don’t leave anything behind,” she said, and walked out of the shop, hoping the other two would follow.

There was a couple looking at the shop window right next to the entrance.

“But it’s a horse with a mermaid tail! She loves that sort of thing, doesn’t she?” the man asked.

“I don’t know,” the woman said hesitantly. “She’s not a child anymore, Cliff.”

“Hey,” Toby said with fake casualness before she could change her mind. Janet and Cliff looked up. His eyes stayed on Toby, but Janet’s immediately went to the two women behind her.

“Toby,” Cliff said, a bit uncomfortable. “It’s good to see you. How are you?”

“Oh, you know. Just buying some gifts for Stacy’s kids and taking my cousins for a walk.” She was looking at Cliff as she gestured towards the pair, who might as well have looked like twins in their illusions. “You remember Raysel? My uncle brought her over a couple of times when she was small.” Then her eyes switched to Janet, although she was still talking to Cliff. “And this is August.”

As expected, Janet’s eyes widened a little. _August?_ she mouthed, and Toby nodded slightly.

“Right…” Cliff looked suspicious for a moment, then it turned into recognition. “Yes, of course, your Uncle Sylvester’s kids. I remember. You’ve both grown up well.”

Toby smiled in relief. Of course, Cliff could only remember one of them, but at least Sylvester was somebody he’s met before and could place.

“A pleasure,” Raysel said, although her tone suggested it was anything but. “Toby, can we go get the ice cream now?”

“A moment, Raysel,” Toby said. “Are you two looking for a gift for Gilly?”

Cliff looked at Janet instead of answering, and for a moment, Toby expected her to ignore the question too, especially as she was still trying not to stare at August too obviously. Then she forced a smile. “Yes. We were thinking of this… mermaid horse, but I thought it might be too… on the nose.”

“I don’t think so. She still reads mermaid books, doesn’t she?”

“She does,” Cliff said. “That’s what I’m saying, Miri. She can still like mermaid horses in college.”

“Well, if you two are going to team up against me,” Janet said, a bit annoyed. “Let’s get the mermaid horse.”

“See you later, Toby,” Cliff said as he walked into the shop they just came out of. Janet went to follow him, then paused for a moment and looked back at August.

“Nice dragon,” she said weakly.

“It _is_ a nice dragon,” August said, then gave Toby a questioning look. Toby shrugged. 

Janet smiled one more time, then followed Cliff inside. Toby turned to go.

“Who the hell was that?” Raysel asked.

“My ex and his wife,” Toby said. She couldn’t help adding, “I would have expected _you_ to recognize them.”

Raysel shrugged, a bit uncomfortable. “I… wasn’t paying that much attention.”

"Why did you tell them we were siblings?" August asked.

"Because Cliff might believe I have one mysterious sister he never heard of, but I don't think I can sell him the idea of two."

August frowned. "And why was the woman acting so weird?"

Toby opened her mouth to answer, but Raysel was faster. “Maybe because she has eyes, and noticed she’s basically a blond version of October. That man must have a complex.”

“Hey!” Toby said. “There is a reason she looks like me, but it’s not something we can discuss in public.”

Raysel rolled her eyes. “Yes, there is. And it’s called a complex.”

“Anyway, August. Can you ask your Dad to get a card with your name on it? I can pass for an August better than for a Simon.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” August said. “But I’ll tell him. Besides, he’s _your_ Dad too.”

“He would have to come to land for that, wouldn’t he?” Raysel said in a suspiciously innocent voice. “I don’t think _Uncle Simon_ is very welcome in the Mists at the moment.”

Toby squinted at her. “Don’t worry, we’ll keep him away from you.” For both of your sakes, she added internally. She didn’t want to re-traumatize Raysel by forcing her to meet Simon, but she also didn’t want to give her a chance to stab Simon in an inconvenient place - and subsequently have all her bones broken by Dianda.

“Whatever,” Raysel said. “You promised ice cream.”

Toby nodded, accepting the topic change. “Ice cream it is.”


End file.
